We have two open mics and a few other readings tonight.

At Town Hall, there is a sold-out reading featuring Christopher Paolini, the one-time wunderkind who wrote Eragon and Eldest and the conclusion to the trilogy third book in a four-book series, Brisingr. This reading is sold out. But based on the reviews of Eldest and Brisingr, you probably didn’t want to go anyway.

At Seattle Public Library, Robin Preiss Glasser, who is the co-author of the children’s book Tea for Ruby, will be reading. It’s kind of weird, in that most people will show up for this reading due to the book’s co-author, who is not in attendance. It’s co-written by Fergie (the Duchess of York, not the lowest-common-denominator pop star).

And at Seattle Mystery Book Shop, Ian Rankin signs his newest mystery, in which his series protagonist, Inspector Rebus, nears retirement. I’m often annoyed by mystery series because the main characters never change, but you know what retirement means for fictional policemen. If Inspector Rebus gets a young, hip-talking streetwise partner in the middle of this book, there will be blood.

The full readings calendar, including the next week or so, is here.